Racket press



W. G. CURRY Ju}y 25, 1939.

RCKET PRESS Filed Sept. 24, 1937 P` gms/whom;

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Patented July 25, 1939 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,167,560 RACKETPRESS Application September 24, 1937, Serial No. 165,596

21 Claims.

The invention is a racket press and has for an object the provision ofmeans for connecting and operating the upper and lower clamping memberswhich may be readily manipulated by both hands simultaneously by levermeans without the use of clamping screws, and so constructed andmultiplied that the racket frame is hel-d rigidly und-er stress.

Another object is to provide a racket press construction in whichclamping stress is provided by the spring character of the operatinglever means.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the features, combination and arrangement ofparts as hereinafter described and as particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of the press, in closed position, on a racketframe shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a side vi-ew of the press closed on a racket frame.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the press in open posi-- tion.

Referring to the drawing I represents the operating levers or memberswhich are of spring character, and in the embodiment shown are of roundspring wire. The spring operating levers I cooperate with thelongitudinally extending levers or connecting members 2 and 3, which inturn are connected by links 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b to upper and lower clampingmembers or frames A and B.

Links 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, are secured at their outer ends to the clampingframes A and B by means of screws il or the like. The inner ends of thelinks are pivotally secured at spaced apart points on the substantiallylongitudinally extending levers or connecting members 2 and 3, by meansof rivets 5 or the like.

The links 2a and 2b are disposed in substantially parallel relation toeach other as also are the links 3a and 3b. The sets of links 2a, 2b and3a, 3b as shown may be inclined in opposite directions in their plane.

The rivet 5 pivotally connecting link 3b with connecting member or lever3, also serves as the pivotal mounting for the spring operating rod orlever I,v as shown, the rivet being disposed at 50 the outer end of themember 3.

` The inner end of the lever or member 3 which is of flat metal isturned outwardly to vprovide flange E having an opening 'I to receivethe operating rod or lever i. The inner end of the flat metal connectingmember or lever 24 is likewise turned outwardly providing ilange 8having an opening 9 to receive the operating rod I.

The opening 'I is preferably in the form of a somewhat elongated notchor slot which will permit of some lateral outward movement of the springoperating lever I relative to the short lever or member 3. 'Ihe lever ormember 2 is considerably longer than the lever 3 and the inner end ofthe member 2 extends to and somewhat beyond the midpoint of the side ofthe press. It is capable of flexing outwardly with the spring lever I inlocking or unlocking the press, the locking means for which comprises aprojection or catch ID on the outer end of the member 2 to engage andretain the free end of the spring lever I.

The spring lever I is preferably bent as shown in its engagement withthe rivet 5 and in extending along the member 3 and then throughopenings 'I' and 9 of the members 3 and 2 so as to exert stress whenengaged by the catch in operating the press on a racket frame. A ngerhold II may also be provided on the spring rod I as by bending the rodlaterally.

In operation, the operating levers may be pushed downwardly to releasethem from the catches I il by both hands simultaneously, then flexedoutwardly to clear the catches, and are then raised upwardly. In sodoing the connecting members or levers 2 and 3 are swung upwardly abouttheir pivots on the lower links 2b and 3b, and the upper links 2a and3a, which are pivotally connected to the levers or members 2 and 3inwardly of the pivots of the members, are pushe-d upwardly, thusseparating the upper and lower clamping frames A and B.

vIn swinging upwardly, the operating rod engages the inner ends of thelevers or connecting members 2 and 3 by contacting the walls of theiropenings I and 9, the operating rod I in raising the longer connectingmember or lever 2 and thereby inclining it oppositely, having relativesliding movement through the opening in the end of the member 2. lhereverse of this action takes place in closing the press.

A racket is then inserted in the open press with the upper end of theracket frame engaging the stop pins I2 to center the same. With theracket in position, the hands at either side of the press simply depressthe spring levers I which y cam outwardly over the rounded outer edge I3of the projection or catch I0 causing them to spring inwardly and thenupwardly into locking engagement with the catch with the press closed inoperative engagement with the racket frame.

In depressing the spring levers to clamp the racket they are flexeddownwardly about their points of engagement with the lower edge or wallof the openings l in the short levers or members 3. The racket frame isthus held betw-een the clamping members A and B under stress of theflexed spring levers I, retained by catches I3 and iiexing over theinner ends of the short connecting members or levers 3, as fulcrums, thelevers 3 being fixed in position as determined by the racket framebetween the clamping members A and B.

It will be seen that the structure involves spaced apart connectionsbetween the upper and lower clamping members at each side thereof andoperating means at each side of the press for operating the connections,including spring members and catch members for maintaining said springmember under stress when the press is closed, and I do not limit myselfto the specic form or arrangement of the element just mentioned asdisclosed herein, the scope of said organization being defined by theappended claims. The spaced apart connections above referred to may betermed linkage connections, and, as is readily apparent, include thelinks such as 2a and 2b with the interposed lever or connecting member2, or the links 3a and 3b with the interposed levers or connectingmember 3.

I claim:

l. In combination in a racket press, upper and lower clamping members,linkage connections extending between and connecting said members atopposite sides thereof, said linkage connections on each side being insets spaced apart from each other and located near the end portions ofsaid sides, and manually operable levers, one on each side of the pressand operatively connected to the spaced apart sets of linkageconnections, said manually operable lever on each side extendinglengthwise of the side of the press and movable in a plane substantiallyparallel with the side of the press for operating the said sets oflinkage connections simultaneously, in opening or closing the press.

2. In combination in a racket press, upper and lower clamping members,linkage connections between them at opposite sides thereof, said linkageconnections on each side being in sets spaced apart from each other andlocated near the end portions of said sides, and a manually operablelever on each side connected to the spaced apart sets of linkage, saidmanually operable lever extending lengthwise of the side of the pressand movable in a plane substantially parallel with the side of the pressfor operating the said sets of linkage simultaneously, in opening orclosing the press, each of said sets of linkage connections including apair of substantially parallel link members pivoted respectively to theupper and lower clamping members with a connecting member between theirinner ends extending in a general direction lengthwise of the side ofthe press, said manually operable lever engaging the adjacent ends ofsaid longitudinally extending connecting members for operating saidconnecting members together with the said links pivoted thereto.

3. In a racket press, upper and lower clamping members, spaced apartsets of linkage connections between them at each side of the press, andmeans for operating the linkage connections including spring leve-rmembers and catch means for maintaining said spring lever members understress when the press is closed.

4. In combination in a racketpress, upper and lower clamping members,linkage connections bed tween them at opposite sides thereof, saidlinkage connections on each side being in sets spaced apart from eachother and located near the end portions of said sides, and a manuallyoperable lever on each side connected to the spaced apart sets oflinkage, said manually operable lever extending lengthwise of the sideof the press and movable in a plane substantially parallel -With theside of the press for operating the said sets of linkage simultaneously,in opening or closing the press, one set of linkage at each side of thepress being provided With a projection or catch member to be engaged bythe manually operable lever to hold the same with the press closed.

5. In combination in a racket press, upper and lower clamping members,linkage connections between them at opposite sides thereof, said linkageconnections on each side being in sets spaced apart from each other andlocated near the end portions of said sides, and a manually operablelever on each side connected to the spaced apart sets of linkage, saidmanually operable lever extending lengthwise of the side of the pressand movable in a plane substantially parallel with the side of the pressfor operating the said sets of linkage simultaneously, in opening orclosing the press, the said manually operable levers being of springcharacter to snap under a catch or projection for holding the pressclosed.

6. In combination in a racket press, upper and lower clamping members,linkage connections between them at opposite sides thereof, said linkageconnections on each side being in sets spaced apart from each other andlocated near the end portions of said sides, and a manually operablelever on each side connected to the spaced apart sets of linkage, saidmanually operable lever extending lengthwise of the side of the pressand movable in a plane substantially parallel with the side of the pressfor operating the said sets of linkage simultaneously, in opening orclosing the press, the said manually operable levers being of springcharacter to snap under a catch or projection for holding the pressclosed, said manually operable levers having capacity to move laterallytowards and from the side of press for locking or unlocking.

7. In combination in a racket press, upper and lower clamping members,connections between the clamping members, spring levers for operatingthe connections to open or close the press, and catch means forretaining the spring levers under stress in closed position of thepress.

8. In combination in a racket press, upper and lower clamping members,connections between the clamping members at forward and rear por tionsof the sides of the press, and a spring lever extending along each sideand connected with both the forward and rear connections for operatingthe same simultaneously to open or close the press, and retaining meansfor holding the spring levers in operating position under stress.

9. In combination in a racket press, having upper and lower clampingmembers, a pair of levers extending longitudinally on each side of thepress, said levers having inner free ends extending toward each otherand having their outer ends pivoted to links connected to the upper andlower clamping members of the press, openings in the inner ends of saidlevers, and an operating rod pivotally mounted at one end to one of saidlevers and extending through the opening therein and through the openingin the other of said levers to operate the levers to open or close thepress.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which said links are connected tosaid levers at spaced points on the levers to open or close the press byturning the levers by said operating rod to move the links apart.

il. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which said last mentioned lever islonger than the rst mentioned lever, said longer lever extending beyondthe midpoint of the side of the press.

12. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which said operating rod is ofspring character and retaining means for said spring operating rod tohold it in closed position under stress.

13. In combination in a racket press, upper and lower clamping members,linkage connections between them at opposite sides thereof, said linkageconnections on each side being in sets spaced apart from each other andlocated near the end portions of said sides, and a manually operablelever on each side connected vto the spaced apart sets of linkage, saidmanually operable lever extending lengthwise of the side of the pressand movable in a plane substantially parallel with the side ofthe pressfor operating the said sets of linkage simultaneously, in opening orclosing the press, said manually operable lever being pivotally mountedon one set of. linkage and extending with its free end to the other setof linkage on the same side of the press, said other set of linkagehaving a catch member for engaging the said free end of the lever.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said links are of at metalvand said manually operable levers are of spring Wire.

15. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said connecting members areof flat metal having turned ends provided with openings to receive themanually operable lever.

16. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which said last mentioned lever isprovided With a catch or projection at its outer end to retain theoperating rod, said operating rod being of spring character and beingretained by said catch under stress in operating position, the inner endof the rst mentioned lever serving as a fulcrum for said spring rod whenstressed.

17. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which said operating rod is ofspring character and is bent at an angle intermediate its length, andcatch means to be engaged by said operating rod to retain it inoperating position under stress.

18. Apparatus according to claim 9 in Which said operating rod is ofspring character and is bent at an angle intermediate its length, andcatch means to be engaged by said operating rod to retain it inoperating position under stress, said operating rod being provided witha laterally extending portion to serve as a finger hold.

19. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which said links at the outer endof each of said levers comprise a set of. substantially parallel links,said sets of substantially parallel links on each side of the pressbeing inclined in opposite directions.

20. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which said last mentioned lever islonger than the rst mentioned lever, said longer lever and saidoperating rod having relative sliding movement in the opening andclosing of the press.

21. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said manually operable leveron each side of the press has a relatively slidable connection byextending through an opening in a portion of one of said sets of linkageconnections.

W'DlLIAM G. CURRY.

